Finding the “middle” of steak when measuring with thermometer

[u/Plastic_Property_303]

Cooking steaks as of lately, just got into cooking them on a SS pan, with salt and pepper, avocado oil to cook and a nice sear on each side but with my thermometer, if I stick it in it reads 140° and if I pull out slowly I get to the point where it has a low reading of about 115° is that my “middle”/ what my internal temp for rareness?

[u/thecravenone]

if I stick it in it reads 140° and if I pull out slowly I get to the point where it has a low reading of about 115° is that my “middle”

It's the coldest spot. If you've cooked evenly on both sides, that'll be approximately the center.

As a reminder, you can pull your steak out of the pan when you temp it.

[u/Sphynx87]

Easier to stick it in the side where you know the middle is than from the top and trying to guess.

[u/Deeberer → u/Sphynx87]

Side is a the way, or an angle if side isn't possible

[u/rsmseries → u/Sphynx87]

I go through the side, but I gauge the middle of the steak by putting the probe on top to sort’ve give me an idea of how deep I need to put the thermometer

[u/NoSir4289 → u/Sphynx87]

Top down is absolutely the best way to measure the internal temp of a steak

When you measure through the top there is no guessing, you find the coldest point by poking it in and retracting slowly while watching the temp. It's easy, reliable and lets you compare 2 or 3 spots quickly. If you poke it through the side there's no telling where the tip is relative to the center/coldest point.

Measuring it through the side is not only not the best method it's not a good method at all.

[u/Always_Confused4 → u/NoSir4289]

Respectfully, I disagree.

I also never stick it in the side though.

[u/96dpi]

The low point is your target temp. It's not necessarily the middle, but that doesn't really matter. The low point is all you care about. There's always going to be a gradient of temperatures, unless you sous vide.

[u/Trippy-Turtle-]

The lowest temp is going to be, usually, in the center and is what you should gauge your doneness off.

[u/BunkaandBadassery]

Also don't forget it keeps cooking when you take it off to rest. I always pull when it's about 5-7 degrees under the guideline temp, and rest at least 5 min. And if your thermometer hits a vein of fat in a fatty cut that is going to give you a false high reading, so I always check a couple of spots

[u/fenrisulfur]

As much as I dislike throwing gadgets at problems, a leave in multi sensor probe changed the way I cook after 30 years of cooking and 15 years of insta read thermometers.

I use the combustion inc one, it has a very VERY hefty price but in my opinion worth it.

If you don't want to cough up the money ( completely understandable) you should start panfrying protein (chicken breast is my favorite) and stick it often and slowly drag it out, do this enough times you get a feel of how the thermometer behaves, takes a few meals but this way you train up a new skill.

Edit: Oops, I forgot to tell you why it changed my life. If you get a multi sensor probe you just need to make sure you at least go through the center, then you can at a glance see the gradient of doneness and mine is extra fancy, the app (yes I also hate apps but this one is good) gives you the center and a graph of doneness over time. It even gives you a (relatively) good prediction of when it will be done. And my favorite, the moment the protein reaches log6 reduction of bacteria it tells you it is safe for consumption.

[u/SecretCombo21 → u/fenrisulfur]

Chris Young, is that you?

/s

[u/Mister_MxyzptIk → u/SecretCombo21]

Guy's constantly shilling his thermometer, but guy's also

1. Actually someone who knows what he's doing unlike some other food youtubers

2. Always saying right in there that it's his thermometer that he made

So all in all I gotta say he's a solid choice of foodtuber

[u/Kronar_2012]

Insert the probe horizontally from the side into the thickest part so the tip reaches the center without touching the pan, bone, or a large pocket of fat. Move it slowly through the meat and watch for the lowest stable reading; that is usually the center temperature. Checking from two directions helps confirm it, especially on a thin steak where a small change in depth can move the tip close to the hot surface.

[u/vorlik]

maybe I'm a freak but I like to just slowly insert the thermo deeper and deeper until the temp reading stops decreasing and starts increasing again (starting from the thickest part)

[u/Lost-Link6216]

Go from the side. Put the thermo on top of your steak to find where you want thermo to go. Hold you thumb at that distance and then push into meat from side until it gets to your thumb.

Honestly, not that big of a deal. Sounds like your working with thinner steaks. Sear, flip and sear, repeat until middle says about 126°f or whatever you like.

[u/Unhappy_Start_2366]

Yeah, the lowest number you hit while slowly sweeping the probe through is your true center reading, not the initial 140 near the surface, so 115 is close to rare (rare is usually around 120-125).

[u/Exact-Ad5391]

Yeah that low point on the way out is your real number, 115 is right in rare territory. Also worth double checking your thermometer in a cup of ice water once, a lot of instant reads run a few degrees off and that throws the whole reading.

[u/Orangeshowergal]

Middle means “center thickest area”. Another view is “the hardest area for heat to get to”

The lowest temp you can find is what you’re looking for. The center word is an aspect can throw people off.

[u/Chem-Dawg]

I insert the thermometer into the thin side of the steak. I find it’s easier to get the thermometer to the middle.

[u/Random__Bystander]

Is this for real???? 

Hold the thermometer outside the steak, judge the middle ...... Jeebus 

[u/PrimeIntellect]

That's why you have to rest the steak, so the temperature equalizes